Argentina
Explore the OECD's reports or draw from a wide variety of education indicators and data to construct your own, customised country reports, highlighting the facts, developments and outcomes of your choice.



Argentina
Overview of the education system (EAG 2025)
  • In 2024, 19% of 25-34 year-olds in Argentina held a tertiary qualification, unchanged from 2019, while the OECD average reached 48%. The share without upper secondary declined slightly from 27% to 26% between 2019 and 2023.
  • Unemployment rates were lower than OECD averages in 2023: 7.8% without upper secondary, 7.2% with upper secondary, and 4.1% for tertiary graduates.
  • Workers without upper secondary earn 13% less than those who completed it (OECD: 17% less), while tertiary graduates earn 63% more, above the OECD average of 54%.
  • Master’s graduates earn 2.5 times more than upper secondary graduates, compared to 75% more for bachelor’s holders and just 30% more for short-cycle diploma holders.
  • Participation of 3- to 5-year-olds in early childhood education rose from 73% in 2013 to 77% in 2023, slightly below the OECD’s increase from 80% to 85%.
  • Bachelor’s graduates were distributed across fields in 2023: 16% in STEM, 20% in business, administration and law, and 23% in arts, humanities, and related fields, differing from OECD patterns.
  • International student shares increased slightly, from 3.4% in 2018 to 3.8% in 2023, while the OECD average rose from 6% to 7.4%.
  • Education spending remains low, with Argentina investing USD 4,448 per student from primary to post-secondary non-tertiary, well below the OECD range of under USD 2,000 to over USD 27,000.
    • | Education at a Glance 2025 | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2025 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | Ministerio de Educación y Deportes (Ministry of Education and Sports, in Spanish) | Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC) (National Institute of Statistics and Census) |

    Select first some countries to compare, choose the charts you wish to display and customise them.

    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

    Show indicators for which your country ranks among the top or bottom: Sort by:

    Participation in education

    The enrolment rate of children under age 3 in ECEC (ISCED 01) was one of the lowest across participating countries. (5.7 %, rank 27/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of three-year-olds in early childhood education in Argentina is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (46.9 %, rank 36/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Enrolment of 6–14-year-olds in primary education placed Argentina among the highest across countries. (69.9 %, rank 6/47 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in upper secondary general programmes in Argentina is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (57 %, rank 1/47 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of four-year-olds in primary education in Argentina is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 7/46 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    In Argentina, international or foreign students from Latin America and the Caribbean are most represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (93.9 %, rank 2/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Argentina, international or foreign students from Asia are least represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.7 %, rank 40/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Argentina, international or foreign students from Europe are least represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.9 %, rank 35/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Argentina, international or foreign students from Oceania are least represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 37/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Argentina, international or foreign students from Africa are lowest represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.5 %, rank 39/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Argentina, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in bachelor's programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.5 %, rank 37/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student

    In Argentina, public expenditure from initial source of funds on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education per student is relatively low. (5285 USD Equivalent, rank 37/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In Argentina, international expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively high. (0 %, rank 4/32 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Government and private expenditure in education

    In Argentina, total public expenditure on secondary educational institutions as a percentage of total public expenditure is comparatively high. (4.8 %, rank 7/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Earnings and educational attainment

    The proportional difference in earnings between 25-64 year-old adults with tertiary education and those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is quite high. (163 Index, rank 9/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of foreign-born aged between 25 and 64 who work full- and part-time with a short cycle tertiary education are comparatively high. (130.4 %, rank 5/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of 25-64 year-old full- and part-time workers with a bachelor's or equivalent education are comparatively high. (175.9 %, rank 4/25 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-64 year-olds with below secondary education compared to those of adults with an upper secondary education are relatively low in Argentina. (77.9 %, rank 23/32 , 2021) Download Indicator

    In Argentina, the relative earnings of 25-34 year-olds with a bachelor’s or equivalent attainment ranked among the strongest internationally. (157 Index, rank 3/23 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 45-54 year-olds working full-time and full-year with tertiary education compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively low in Argentina. (194 Index, rank 20/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-34 year-olds working full-time and full-year with bachelor's or equivalent attainment compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively high in Argentina. (175 Index, rank 7/23 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-64 year-olds working full-time and full-year with bachelor's or equivalent attainment compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively high in Argentina. (201 Index, rank 5/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 45-54 year-olds working full-time and full-year with bachelor's or equivalent attainment compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively high in Argentina. (221 Index, rank 4/23 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings, gender and educational attainment

    The earnings of men without an upper secondary education are relatively high compared to those of men with an upper secondary education. (90 Index, rank 3/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The earnings of women without an upper secondary education are relatively low compared to those of women with an upper secondary education. (68 Index, rank 26/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary education or post-secondary non-tertiary education and income from employment) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (71.9 %, rank 27/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education and income from employment) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (74.6 %, rank 21/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-64 year-olds with income from employment) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (79.5 %, rank 26/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women (as a percentage of men's earnings) among full- and part-time 25-64 year-olds with below upper secondary education are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (54.9 %, rank 28/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women (as a percentage of men's earnings) among full- and part-time 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (66.4 %, rank 24/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (among 25-34 year-olds with upper secondary education or post-secondary non-tertiary education and income from employment) are one of the low among countries with available data. (70.9 %, rank 27/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Argentina, the proportion of young women's earnings as a percentage of men's earnings (25-34 year-olds with tertiary education working full-time full-year), is relatively low compared to OECD and other members with available data (74.8 %, rank 26/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (54.8 %, rank 24/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds without an upper secondary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (51.2 %, rank 27/27 , 2023) Download Indicator


    The data table will display up to six selected countries.
    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Tertiary attainment among young adults has reached 48% on average across the OECD, the highest level ever, but progress has slowed since 2021. Attainment remains unequal, with women generally outpacing men, and older generations showing lower rates.
    • Employment outcomes for tertiary-educated adults remain strong overall: 87% of them are employed compared to 60% of those without upper seconday. Tertiary education offers good protection against unemployment, but women and disadvantaged groups still face labour market gaps, and inactivity persists among some adults. Moreover, adults with tertiary education earn on average 54% more than those with only upper secondary education.
    • Gender pay gaps remain significant. Despite higher attainment, women with tertiary education consistently earn less than men, even when working full-time, and this gap persists across age groups (73% on average for women aged 25 to 64).
    • Fields of study strongly influence labour market outcomes. Graduates in engineering and in health and welfare fare particularly well, while women’s participation in STEM remains below parity (14% of graduates at tertiary level) despite being 58% of all tertiary graduates.
    • Internationalisation continues to expand in tertiary education. The share of international students has grown steadily, and OECD countries host a large proportion of the world’s mobile students, reinforcing their global role in higher education.
    • Sustaining tertiary education requires adequate investment. Spending per student is already at 21 021 USD and rising, and tertiary expenditure represents a notable share of GDP (1.4% on average in OECD), making efficiency and equity crucial for long-term sustainability.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Access and Participation  | Education policies: Finance and Funding | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
                                Visualisations
    
                            

                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                    
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                    
            

    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Although many countries have near universal upper secondary attainment among 25–34 year-olds, on average across the OECD 13% of younger adults still lack an upper secondary qualification.
    • NEET shares are now below pre-pandemic levels in about half of OECD and partner countries with trend data; in 8 of these 16 countries the decline exceeds 1 percentage point, while 17 countries exceed pre-pandemic benchmarks and 6 saw increases of more than 2 percentage points.
    • Employment rates rise steadily with higher tertiary attainment: short-cycle 83%, bachelor’s 86%, master’s 90%, and doctoral or equivalent 93% among 25–64 year-olds.
    • Earnings premiums also increase with qualification level: on average across the OECD, short-cycle graduates earn 17% more than those with upper secondary; the advantage is 39% for bachelor’s and 83% for master’s/doctoral graduates.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
                                Visualisations
    
                            

                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                    
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                    
            

    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 85% across the OECD. By contrast, only 29% of children under the age of 3 are enrolled.
    • Participation in early childhood education has grown over the past decade, with enrolment for children under age 3 increasing by 9 percentage points to 29%, and enrolment for ages 3 and above rising by 5 points to 85%.
    • The majority of students in vocational upper secondary education follow programmes that grant full access to tertiary education, with 76% of students enrolled in such programmes on average across the OECD.
    • Completion rates for bachelor’s programmes increase after the theoretical duration of programmes: on average, 44% of students graduate on time, compared to 69% three years after.
    • Students from Asia form the largest regional group of internationally mobile students in tertiary education, representing 58% of all foreign or international students across the OECD in 2023.
    • Only 43% of students complete a bachelor’s degree within the expected duration, though this rises to 59% with one additional year and 70% with three additional years on average across the OECD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
                                Visualisations
    
                            

                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                    
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                    
            

    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Governments spend on average USD 12 438 per student in primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education, and USD 15 102 per student in tertiary education including R&D.
    • Expenditure per student has risen in absolute terms since 2015, but its share in public budgets has declined, with government spending on education at almost 15% of total government expenditure on average in 2022.
    • Annual spending per student at primary and secondary levels varies widely across OECD countries, from under USD 3 000 in some systems to over USD 25 000 in the most highly funded ones.
    • Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education.
    • Spending per student differs markedly between public and private institutions, with expenditure in public tertiary institutions exceeding USD 33 000 in some countries, compared to less than USD 10 000 in others.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | 
    
                            
    
                                Visualisations
    
                            

                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                    
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                    
            

    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Students in OECD countries receive an average of 7 604 hours of compulsory instruction during primary and lower secondary education, with total hours ranging widely across education systems.
    • Compulsory instruction time averages 804 hours per year for primary students and 909 hours for lower secondary students, a difference of about 105 hours annually.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in pre-primary education has fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2013 to 13 in 2023.
    • Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, teachers with 15 years of experience earn USD 55 725 at pre-primary level and USD 63 925 at upper secondary level.
    • Teachers’ actual salaries are 83–91% of the earnings of similarly educated tertiary-educated workers, while school heads usually earn more than tertiary-educated workers on average across OECD countries.
    • The ratio of students to academic staff is lower in public than in private institutions, averaging about 14 students per staff member in public tertiary institutions compared to 18 in private ones.
    • Nearly half of OECD and partner countries operate non-selective admission systems for first degrees, providing broad access to tertiary education, while entrance exams and centralised systems are also common.
    • The salaries of academic staff in tertiary education vary by seniority. On average, junior staff earn about 62 000 USD, while senior staff earn about 108 000 USD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teachers | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
                                Visualisations
    
                            

                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                    
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                    
            
                
    
            
    
        
    
        
    
            
        
    
        
    
            
        
    

        
        
		
        
		
    
			
    
				Key
            
    
            Diagram of funding flows - Argentina
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
			Click on the coverpage to see the full OECD iLibrary version
			
    
				Key
            
    
            Country Reviews for Argentina
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
            most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, 
			such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
            areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
            for each publication.
    
            All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
            

    
			Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some 
			countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026.
			

    
	    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. 
		This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages.
		Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and 
		Annex 3 
		of EAG 2024 for more details about the data collections.
            

    
            For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.